First Contact
by akili
Summary: Nyota visits Vulcan for the first time as a 7 year old and encounters a young Spock. For clarifying details on the characters, readers may want to read Surprise Surprise, but it isn't necessary. This story is meant to stand alone. Pre-Movie.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Star Trek or any of its associated characters, places or organizations.

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Nyota wondered why she had to wear these heavy ugly clothes. Basim was behind her and tugged on one of her pigtails. Nyota turned and swatted him away. He had just laughed, happy to be on a trip with her and their father. Nyota was trying really hard to be very serious like her father, Kiano, wanted. He had told them that the people they were going to meet would not tolerate any silliness so it was important that they acted as grown-up as possible, but Basim was always silly. Nyota turned and shushed him again.

When they stepped out of the transport bay, the first thing that struck Nyota was how _hot _it was. She had a hard time catching her breath. Kiano looked down at her and took her hand, telling her to take a slow deep breath. It felt like there was fire in her lungs, but she did it anyway and found that she was able to breathe, but just barely. Basim started to cough and Kiano turned his attention to him, leaving Nyota to look around this new place.

It was red. Everything was red, orange or brownish red like the rust on Kiano's antique motorbike in the garage at home. The buildings looked funny too. Nyota had seen lots of different types of buildings before; she had seen the mushroom shaped buildings on Betazed and the silly looking clay structures on Tellar Prime but these buildings were dark and looked a bit like they were bullets. Nyota did not like them at all. Once Kiano got Basim to breathe deeply, they all walked inside one of the bullet buildings just across the road.

It was, blessedly, cooler inside the building but not by much. Nyota thought that the long grey tunic and pants that she wore were itchy and now that she was starting to sweat, it was worse. A very tall man met them in the corridor and stared down at Nyota and Basim. Nyota thought he might be angry, but she could not tell because he did not frown. He just looked at them and said something to father that she could not understand. Nyota was getting better at Vulcan, but the man spoke too quickly. She would ask Kiano what he said later and they would play a word game so she could get faster at understanding the harsh language. Nyota secretly hoped that she would meet some Vulcan kids to practice with. Basim always got distracted when she tried to practice with him. He would inevitably try to play a game or start teasing her so she would stop. Nyota did not know any Vulcan children, but she thought that they would be nice. Uncle Tyvoc was nice. He made her laugh by touching her fingertips and sometimes, when father wasn't looking, he let her drink his hot chocolate.

Nyota looked up at Kiano, who was walking abreast of the tall man.

"Baba?" Nyota asked her father, "Will Uncle Tyvoc be here?" The Vulcan man looked down at Nyota and stared at her hard. She was pretty sure he was unhappy.

"I don't think so Nyota. Dr. Tyvoc usually is not on Vulcan at this time of year. He's usually still on Earth, running clinical trials." Her father smiled down at her. "It was a very logical question though. I'm sure he would have been impressed."

Nyota smiled back up at Kiano Uncle Tyvoc had taught her all about logic and why it was something that smart people employed. Of course, father had said that logic was only one way to be smart, and that there were as many ways to be smart as there were stars in the galaxy. The man with them spoke.

"Your child calls a Vulcan 'uncle'? Why have you not corrected such an obvious mistake? You are not Vulcan and I _know _you are of no kin to Dr. Tyvoc." The Vulcan man crossed his arms over his chest as he turned to address Kiano.

"S'kvan, on Terra, frequently the word uncle is used by children to refer to adults that are too close to be considered merely acquaintances or friends, but that are still not related by blood or marriage. It is a colloquial term used to imply a particular type of bond that is at once more complex and simpler than standard vocabulary can convey."

"The Terran language of English is quite deficient then is it not? It is a wonder that it was chosen as the standard language of the Federation of Planets." The man, S'kvan, turned and began walking again. Kiano looked at Nyota and winked at her. She smiled and the three of them ran to catch up.

They were led to a large dark room. Nyota certainly preferred the brightness of Betazed and Andoria to this place. Kiano had been holding one of Nyota's and Basim's hands but now that they were inside, he ushered them to the end of the table long table. Nyota and her brother shared a seat and Kiano sat next to them, taking a PADD from a bag. Nyota did the same. She had a PADD with word games and puzzles to keep her entertained while the adults had their meeting. She had done this a thousand times before. Basim wiggled in the seat next to her. Nyota knew that he was only five, but his constant goofiness embarrassed her sometimes; still, she could understand why he didn't want to stay at home. She handed him another PADD, this one with a game that required him to lead a fish through an ocean maze. He was instantly enthralled. Kiano nodded at her, proud that she was acting like such a responsible young lady, before turning his attention to the three Vulcan men across the table.

"Mr. Uhura," one man said, "Is it usual to bring children to meetings where you have been hired to conduct serious business? I have not heard of this particular Terran custom." The men around him nodded in agreement and slid their eyes to Nyota and Basim. Basim didn't notice, but Nyota was listening intently. She kept her eyes on her PADD so that the Vulcans would not know.

"No, Mr. Sivak, it is not especially usual; however, I find that it is a luxury that I can afford considering the specialized nature of my services and the skill that you seek to solve your problems." Kiano knew a great deal about Vulcans, so he did not smile; however, Nyota could hear the smile in his voice. The three Vulcan men, S'kvan, Sivak and one that had not been identified, were silent. Nyota thought they seemed a little grumpy. She hid her own grin and began working through a Klingon word puzzle.

The meeting did not go on as long as Nyota had thought it might, but it was long enough. From what Nyota could tell, the Vulcans had hired her father to figure out a way to avoid something called a famine during a particularly dry stretch of time. Nyota was not sure what a famine was, but she thought it had to do with food. She would ask later, for now, she was putting her PADD back into her pack and following Kiano to their guest suite, Basim running after them.

Finding out where they were staying was Nyota's favorite part of her trips with Kiano. Sometimes they got to stay in huge rooms that looked like the should have been from fairy tales, and sometimes they stayed in rooms where there were fresh flowers everywhere, blooming from the walls. On Andoria, Nyota had particularly liked their rooms because one wall would be completely glass and she could look out at the huge stalactites that hung from the ceiling of the caves that housed the Andorian cities. Nyota was disappointed in this suite. There was nothing fun or exciting in it. It didn't even have a window. There were several thin mattresses on the floor. Kiano's friend, Ambassador Matsuzaki, had called them futons. There was a desk shoved in the corner of the room and a 3-D chess set on a table that had a single chair in another corner. Nyota sighed.

Kiano took them to find food at a restaurant, even he realized the room was too dull to stand while their eyes were open. Nyota asked what S'kvan had said and what a famine was. S'kvan had asked who the children had belonged to. Nyota was puzzled because she should have been able to understand that, but Kiano explained that he spoke a different dialect of Vulcan than that which she was used to. Indeed, Nyota most often practiced speaking Vulcan with Uncle Tyvoc and Kiano's friend T'Mana who were both from Shi'Kahr, the man S'kvan was from Gol. Kiano also explained that a famine happened when there was not enough food for everyone to eat and that he had been hired to find a way to feed everyone until Vulcan could begin a more efficient food production program, which he would be helping to design. Nyota was eating something called plomeek soup for dinner and she thought that if this was what Vulcans had been reduced to eating, it was no wonder that they were grumpy. She certainly hoped that Kiano could fix their situation, and quickly.

Kiano washed both Nyota and Basim in the tiny bathing cube attached to the room and tucked them into bed. Nyota wanted to stay awake and watch Kiano work, but the heat of the Vulcan day had drained her and she couldn't fight her sleepiness. Basim was already breathing slowly beside her. She managed to ask Kiano something before sleep overtook her.

"Baba?" Nyota whispered softly. "Are there any children on Vulcan? All I've seen are grownups."

"Yes, of course they are pretty girl. They're usually in school during the day. Would you like to meet some children?"

"Yes please." Nyota's eyes fluttered.

"Well, tomorrow we will be taking a tour of some of the food production facilities. Maybe we'll meet some Vulcan children since we'll be out and about. Would you like that?"

"Yeah." Nyota snuggled into the meager pillow that she had been provided, "that'll be good." Nyota did not know if anything else had been said by her father because she was asleep after that. Kiano set up at the desk and began to review the schematics of the controlled environments that were supplying Vulcan most of its on world nutrients. Vulcan generally received a large portion of its food from off-world, but current tensions in the galaxy were making it too expensive to continue to transport food to Vulcan. Kiano had been hired to both evaluate the efficiency of the planetary growing system and to massage the trade agreements to make them more affordable for the Vulcan people. He understood that a number of people objected to a Human being employed to evaluate Vulcan efficiency, but he had come highly recommended by T'Mana, and she was not a woman that took no for an answer.

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Author's note: If you're curious about some of the details in this story, you might want to check out my fiction Surprise Surprise. This story is meant to stand alone, so it isn't necessary.


	2. Chapter 2

Kiano got the children up very, very early. While Nyota and Basim brushed their teeth, Kiano braided Nyota's hair neatly. He gave her a Vulcan style dress to wear. Nyota liked it better because, although it was still long and ugly, it was much lighter. It almost felt like the salwars that her grandfather sent to her and her brother. Kiano had told them that they would be spending time in factories and greenhouses today but that he wanted them to have a good start and a good breakfast.

When they were standing in front of the massive door, Nyota was nervous. So far Vulcan buildings had not held many good things in them. The door opened and a tall Vulcan woman stood looking down on them. She was very pretty, in a cool sort of way, and Nyota did not think that she looked unhappy or cross even though she did not smile.

"T'Mana." Kiano nodded at the woman "Greetings. It has been too long."

"K'ano" T'Mana pronounced Nyota's father's name in a Vulcan manner. "You are correct. It has been too long." Nyota gazed up at the woman. Nyota did not know why, but she instantly liked her better than all the other Vulcans she had met on the planet so far. She wore her hair down to her waist, although it was cut short and round just above her eyebrows. She was tall, slender and she moved gracefully, even though she was very rigid. She seemed to be a very important lady. Nyota and her family followed T'Mana inside.

The room was the opposite of the room they had stayed in the night before. It was open and one entire wall was a window. Nyota could see all of Shi'Kahr from the window. The room was light, airy, and opened onto a huge patio. While T'Mana and Kiano stood, Basim and Nyota moved about the room. The room was, relative to size, fairly empty but there was a long white chaise that Nyota was dying to sit on. There were books, old fashioned ones, PADDs and any number of things that Nyota wanted to explore. She and her brother silently inspected every curious item that they could.

"Baba? Can we stay here?" Nyota called out, her hand on the door that led to the patio.

"Nyota! Don't be rude!" Kiano would have looked embarrassed but he had a grin on his face for Nyota's boldness.

"Don't be illogical K'ano. A child must express her wants else she will always be denied. There is no rudeness in her expression. The worst that could happen is that she would have her question answered negatively."

"Yes. Of course you're right T'Mana." Kiano sighed and followed T'Mana further into the vast chamber.

"Child, you are called Nyota?" T'Mana asked.

"Yes ma'am." Nyota said softly, suddenly aware that she'd attracted the attention of the grand woman.

"It pleases me to finally meet you. I have heard a great many things about you from your father." T'Mana nodded at Nyota. Nyota thought that this must be what Vulcans did instead of smiling. "If it is agreeable to you, your brother and your father, I would welcome you to stay here during your visit to Vulcan." T'Mana tilted her head.

"Oh T'Mana, no, that really isn't necessary. We've got adequate lodging and..." Kiano trailed off. Nyota was looking up at him with her eyes wide and shaking her head. Kiano sighed again. "I take it that you don't find our room to be acceptable Nyota?"

"Please Baba, can we stay here? Can we? Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeease??" Nyota's voice went up two octaves as she begged. Kiano was a shrewd political player, but he knew he was no match for Nyota _and _T'Mana.

"Fine. T'Mana, I insist upon compensating you. I won't simply arrive here on your doorstep and take advantage."

"K'ano, you are being illogical. If you correct Vulcan's pressing food situation, then you will have compensated me more than enough. Further, hospitality does not require compensation. Surak says that if there is someone in need of something that I have in abundance, that it is logical for me to give it freely. I have more than enough space for your children and yourself. Please, be at ease. You are welcome."

Kiano really could not argue with T'Mana, so they decided to stay. T'Mana was nearly 150 years old and all of her children and grandchildren had gone into adulthood years ago. She really did have plenty of space. And for T'Mana's conservative reputation amongst both those on Earth and on Vulcan, she was very good with children. She was incredibly tolerant with their constant questions and need to touch things. T'Mana's patience was not lost on Nyota. She had spent most of the morning, after a breakfast that consisted of a different but much better version of plomeek soup, next to T'Mana asking her questions about buildings, Vulcan language and the books that were in the room they were in. This room turned out to be T'Mana's study and T'Mana gladly answered all questions without even a sigh of exasperation.

It came time for Kiano to meet the head of the Vulcan farming system and when he told Nyota it was time to go, she was very torn about whether to go or to stay. She really did want to see the fruits and vegetables growing inside but at the same time, T'Mana was very interesting. Nyota was not even nervous about being alone with her. Basim had instantly wanted to go with Kiano, so it would have been T'Mana and Nyota for the rest of the day together. Nyota frowned.

"Ny, if you'd like to stay with T'Mana today I don't mind. That is, if she does not mind. I promise you I will not be offended." Kiano checked his timepiece. Nyota looked up at T'Mana, who was almost dressed identically to her.

"I find Nyota's company quite agreeable K'ano. Her intense curiosity reminds me of that of a Vulcan child." T'Mana looked down at Nyota and then met Kiano's eyes.

"Ok then."Kiano said "I'll be back in a few hours. Nyota, be good today. You know how to reach me if you need me." Kiano took Basim's hand and they walked out of the door.

Nyota said goodbye to her father and brother and then she followed T'Mana up a winding staircase into the library. Nyota was thrilled. There were so many books. Nyota would have been content to sit and read them all day if she could have. She asked T'Mana if there were any children's stories that were in Vulcan so that she could practice. T'Mana was very impressed. She knew Vulcan children that were less interested in reading that Nyota was. If T'Mana was honest with herself, she also enjoyed Nyota because she missed having children in her home. She had experienced pon farr with her bondmate 14 times before he died and had produced a child each time. When her children had grown and had their own offspring, they had returned to her house to receive advice and support but now, her even her great grandchildren were adults and they were scattered over the world like seeds. T'Mana found that Nyota's insatiable appetite for information suited her quite well.

Nyota loved T'Mana's house and imagined that the library was magical, a gateway to somewhere that was not on the unfriendly, hot and arid world. Nyota fell asleep reading a book of Vulcan children's poetry in the coolness of the library. T'Mana carried the girl to a bedroom where she was left to nap. When Nyota woke up she heard T'Mana speaking to someone downstairs. Nyota did not want to interrupt, but she also found that she needed to pee and had no idea where to do such a thing. She crept to the edge of the staircase. She couldn't see their faces, but she could hear them speaking in Vulcan.

"_I find your behavior to be conflicted T'Mana. He undermines our beliefs and our work. Again, I request that you revoke your advisement to the High Council." _The voice that said this was male and even though his voice was steady and calm, Nyota thought he was probably angry. She recalled Uncle Tyvoc remaining calm when one of his graduate students had carried a mug of tea into a sterile facility and she had been pretty sure he was angry then too.

_ "You are the very last person who ought to be discussing conflicted interests Sarek. I find that your inability to be open to the services that K'ano brings to Vulcan to be quite illogical. Perhaps if you were more competent at your position, we would not require the services of K'ano; however, you have yet to accomplish that which has been required in altering the trade agreements. Your argument is invalid." _T'Mana finished as she clasped her hands behind her back. Nyota had heard her father's name. She wondered if the Vulcans did not want him there. She thought it would explain why they were so unfriendly the day before; however, she didn't know why they would ask him to come if they did not want his help. Nyota pursed her lips and scooted down the stairs to see better. 

_ "I see that you will not listen to logic T'Mana. Even if you find my abilities to be lacking..."_ Sarek began.

"_I do." _

_ "Even if you find my abilities lacking" _Sarek stood up straighter as he confronted the taller T'Mana "_there are a number of other Vulcans and off world consultants that would be able to accomplish that which this human claims to be able to, at a much lower cost and without such deep access to our society. Or have you forgotten that we have information that we would rather not have disseminated by a people who don't embrace logic or value privacy." _

_ "I have known this consultant for nearly his whole life Sarek. I trust him implicitly. Perhaps the humans that _you_ acquaint yourself with fail to embrace logic, but I have not found this to be the case with K'ano Uhura." _From this angle, Nyota could see T'Mana's face. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she spoke to Sarek. Nyota felt bad because the adults were arguing, but she was happy that T'Mana was defending her father. _"Further, if there had been another who could have completed a task faced by the Vulcan people, he did not present himself. K'ano's reputation precedes him. He is the very best at what he does."_

_ "It certainly appears that he believes so." _Sarek countered. Nyota's mouth formed an 'o' shape and, quite by accident, an annoyed huff escaped her. She hadn't meant to make noise but this man was calling her father arrogant and Nyota certainly knew better. Kiano had spent hours teaching his children to embrace humility, even if it was the last thing they wanted to do.

Sarek looked up and saw Nyota at the top of the stairs. She thought about running away, but could not see the purpose of it. It was obvious that she had been spotted. Instead, Nyota slowly stood up and walked down the stairs to stand next to T'Mana. T'Mana seemed to straighten and grow even taller when Nyota came to her side.

"_Is this his child? You are so partial toward this man that you are required to entertain his children while he works?" _Sarek asked, incredulous. Nyota had heard enough. She did not know why everyone was so unhappy with her father, but she did not like it. She also did not like the implication that something was wrong with T'Mana because T'Mana was nice to her family.

"_T'Mana is allowing me to read her books today. My father did not ask her to do so. I did. T'Mana is being a," _Nyota struggled for the Vulcan word, she had just learned it last night, "_a hospitable person. Surak would approve." _Nyota thought her voice sounded squeaky compared to the deep, noble tones of T'Mana and Sarek. She was not actually sure that Surak would approve, but she had heard T'Mana say the phrase no less than ten times during their morning together.

Sarek's astonishment was plain on his face and Nyota noticed that T'Mana's lips fluttered at the corners. Sarek studied Nyota closely, considering her for what seemed to be a very long time. Nyota felt uncomfortable under his gaze, but she did not move. She tried to emulate T'Mana and stood up straighter as Sarek sized her up.

"You speak Vulcan?" Sarek asked in Standard.

"Obviously." Nyota responded. If her father had been there, he would not have approved of her flippant tone, but this man had insulted Kiano and she felt justified.

"Fascinating." Sarek continued to stare at Nyota openly. "How many Earth years do you have child?"

"Seven." Nyota answered. Sarek nodded, still considering Nyota.

"Perhaps," Sarek began "I have been too hasty in my judgment of this K'ano Uhura. If such a young human that is his child is so logical that she knows to quote Surak, perhaps he may be worth the risk." Sarek put his hand on his chin and considered.

"Indeed." T'Mana said. "Perhaps it will occur to you to consider that the humans _I_ interact with are exceptional before coming into my home to make unjustified complaints about your perception of my bias Sarek." T'Mana stared down at Sarek as she spoke. "And perhaps it will also occur to you that you, of all people, are not in a position to complain about a bias in favor of humans." Nyota was looking up at T'Mana and saw something flash in her eyes.

Sarek looked as though he would say something further, but instead he simply stared at T'Mana, his mouth a straight line. He nodded at T'Mana and at Nyota and turned to leave.

"I'm sorry that I interrupted T'Mana." Nyota said quietly. "I heard what he was saying when I woke up. I had to...uh... go."

"There is no need to apologize child." T'Mana placed a hand on Nyota's back and guided her back up the stairs. "Nothing you said to Ambassador Sarek was wrong. It was all quite logical." T'Mana opened the door to a large room that Nyota recognized as a bathroom. Before she went in, Nyota had another question.

"T'Mana, why don't the other Vulcans want my father here? Did he do something wrong?" Nyota asked as she began to close the door.

"No child." T'Mana said through the door. "The other Vulcans are simply filled with their own insecurities and they worry that K'ano will expose them further. Frequently my people feel that way about humans."

"Why?" Nyota was almost done now. "And why are you nice to us when the others are not?"

"It is logical for me to only answer for myself child; I do not generally find humans to be well suited for much of what needs to be done in the galaxy; however, I am not so biased as to fail to recognize greatness when I see it. Your father is..." T'Mana struggled for a word. "Unique."

"How come he's so special?" Nyota washed her hands and wiped them on the skirt of her dress. "And how come you know about it and no one else does?" Nyota came out of the bathroom and looked up into T'Mana's face.

"That is a question that will be better suited for your father to answer. Just know that he is, as are you. Come. Let us find you a suitable midday meal." T'Mana extended her arm and Nyota took her wrist. Nyota had learned not to take the hands of Vulcan adults without being asked to.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own Star Trek or any of its associated content.

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"I don't understand why you even went over there Sarek." Amanda Grayson looked up at her husband over the edge of a PADD. "T'Mana has made no secret of her low impression of you and frankly, I think she was right. You are the very last person that should be giving her a hard time about recommending that the high council hire a Human consultant." Amanda took a sip of tea and returned to her reading.

"You are missing my point Amanda." Sarek was edging on exasperation. "It is not the matter that the consultant is Human but that _she_ recommended him. And my main contention has been that the price is exorbitant. Vulcan could procure another year's worth of food for the price they are paying him."

"No, darling, I see your point." Amanda spoke detachedly, as though she were only half interested in the conversation. "However, it also seems obvious to me that T'Mana is not the staunchly xenophobic woman that you believed her to be. Would she have a small Human child with her if that were the case?" Amanda was an optimistic person and tried, as a general matter, to see the very best in people. Even people who had publicly decried her race as inherently inferior.

"Yes. And about the child. Do you not think it odd that a child of that type would speak Vulcan and quote Surak? Have you ever heard of such a thing Amanda? You are an educator by profession."

"What type is that darling?" Amanda began to realize that this conversation was going to require a choice between the Journal of Adolescent Education and her husband's unusually bothered state. Anyone unfamiliar with Sarek would not see a problem; however, Sarek had been going on for hours about his visit to T'Mana's personal home and what he found there.

"A Human." Sarek's voice reflected a level of annoyance that his face would never betray. He wondered if Amanda was being purposely obtuse or if she was just ignoring him. He decided that it was a little of both. He turned to look at his son. "Spock, do you know of any Human children that speak Vulcan fluently or are versed in the teachings of Surak?"

"I do not know any Human children father." Spock kept his eyes on his chess board. He was playing against a new computer program that he had designed that morning and was hopeful that it would more challenging than the setting that had come with the 3-D chess set.

Sarek finally left, feeling that his family was incapable of understanding the incongruity of his discoveries of the day. Amanda was right. T'Mana had made it quite clear that she did not approve of his post as Ambassador. Sarek had believed that her constant reproach about Sarek's marriage had been because of T'Mana's underlying bias against humans; however, now, it seemed that his conclusions had been in error. Perhaps she simply hated Amanda because Amanda had the audacity to marry someone she already disliked intensely. In either case, Sarek realized that going to T'Mana's private home to discuss matters of governance was probably a mistake that would make his life difficult for the near future.

Still, Sarek was not the only Vulcan that had been bothered by T'Mana's recommendation of Kiano Uhura to solve the impending Vulcan food crisis. Sarek pondered whether he was the only one that had been so surprised by it. While other Vulcans that he had spoken to had indicated their reluctance to cooperate with Kiano Uhura because he was a Human, Sarek had not perceived anyone registering the unusual nature of the source of the recommendation. Sarek had not yet decided if he would be cooperating with Kiano Uhura. He had more reason to cooperate than not to. Sarek, as ambassador, would probably have his name in the renegotiation of the trade contracts in some manner and if he assisted Kiano, it was more likely that his name would be mentioned positively. At least if Kiano was everything that T'Mana claimed he was.

T'Mana had the most political clout of all of the members of the Vulcan High Command. Her late bond mate, Visec, had been the head of the Vulcan Security Directorate and together, they had essentially ruled the political landscape of Vulcan. With no one to successfully object to their plans, the rest of the Vulcan High Council had gotten into the habit of taking her recommendations with little consideration. Visec had only succumbed to illness and death in the last few years; however, things had remained remarkably the same.

Sarek decided that he would reserve judgment on Kiano Uhura until he met the man the next day. Sarek had been instructed to meet with the Vulcan ministers of information and the head of the Vulcan Merchant Fleet to brief Kiano on the state of Vulcan trade. From what Sarek understood, Kiano would be evaluating the existing agreements and utilizing his own connections to broker better deals. Sarek was very skeptical of all of this. He did not feel that Kiano was being transparent and that, when it came to the reputation of the Vulcan people, transparency in dealings with off-worlders was imperative.

***

Basim sat on T'Mana's lap and dabbed at a piece of paper with an object that seemed like a Vulcan version of a calligraphy brush. T'Mana was encouraging Basim and teaching him the Vulcan alphabet, something that Basim excelled in. Among the happy noises that Basim made while he was garnering praise for his writing skills, Nyota asked her father about his day. Kiano told her that they had gone to a facility where legumes were grown in bulk and another facility where the popular plant plomeek was grown. It all sounded very dull compared to the day that Nyota had.

Nyota told Kiano about all of the books that she had been able to read and how T'Mana had helped her when she stumbled over words. Nyota usually only received this type of attention from her father, so she was quite pleased when other adults that were happy to read with her. She told Kiano about the big bed that she had been able to sleep in and about T'Mana taking her on a walk to see a recitation of Falor's Journey, a long story poem. Finally, Nyota told Kiano about the man that had come to visit T'Mana and how she had spoken to him in Vulcan. Nyota was very pleased with her ability to speak Vulcan to an adult, even when she was angry. Kiano told Nyota not to worry about what Vulcans said about him and to ignore them when they were not friendly. Later, T'Mana and Kiano tucked Nyota and her little brother into the bed that Nyota had napped in during the day. Nyota heard them talking down stairs, their words in Vulcan and English just barely floating up to her as she lost the battle with sleep.

At dawn, T'Mana woke Nyota and Basim up to prepare the traditional plomeek broth and then helped them dress. T'Mana would be staying with Basim today while Nyota went with Kiano to work. Nyota was disappointed but T'Mana told her that she had a Vulcan lyre performance to look forward to and that if she helped her father be efficient, they would be able to obtain the best seats. Nyota had read about the Vulcan lyre and she very much wanted to hear one played. Nyota nodded and took her father's hand, assuring T'Mana that she would make sure that Kiano got much accomplished. Kiano looked at T'Mana and raised an eyebrow as Nyota said this and called T'Mana _ezyet. _T'Mana said nothing but did not object to the use of the term. If Kiano did not know better, he would have ventured that T'Mana was pleased.

When Nyota saw Sarek, she was very dignified. She said nothing of the events of the day before although she could tell that he was watching her closely. Nyota sat next to her father and helped him organize his documents as he reviewed the budgets and trade agreements that the Vulcans presented to him. Unlike the men from their first day on Vulcan, these men were truly neutral and hid no animosity. At the end of the day, Kiano excused himself and indicated that he would create projections overnight and begin to work on estimates that Vulcan could be expected to pay for new contracts. As Nyota and Kiano exited, Sarek fell in step beside them.

"Mr. Uhura." Sarek approached them. "Might I have a moment of your time?"

"Oh, I suppose so Sarek, what is one more minute when we've just spent the last seven standard hours together with no intermission?" If Sarek recognized Kiano's sarcasm, he made no show of it. Sarek wanted to ask after the nature of Kiano's relationship to T'Mana. Kiano admitted that they made an odd pair, but told Sarek little of its true nature. Sarek stated openly that he would have never thought that he would find T'Mana in the company of a Human child, one that spoke Vulcan and quoted Surak no less. At that, Kiano looked down at Nyota who was dutifully carrying Kiano's bag and pretending not to hear the conversation between Sarek and her father.

Nyota was bored with adult conversation for the day, even if it was about her. Her curiosity was not piqued until she heard Sarek mention his own son, not much older than Nyota, and his interest in the Vulcan lyre. Sarek had escorted Kiano and Nyota to the transport depot where they would catch a transfer vehicle back to T'Mana's home and had made conversation with Kiano about his ideas around the education of young people on their respective planets. Sarek admitted that his son, half Human, might benefit from the advances in Human education as well and thought Kiano would be as good of a person to ask as anyone since Nyota displayed learning that Sarek considered uncommon among Human children in general.

"Mr. Sarek what is your son's name?" Nyota was suddenly keen to pay attention.

"My son's name is Spock." Sarek was more interested in Kiano's responses that speaking with Nyota, however, as an ambassador, he knew not to be rude. Sarek began to speak to Kiano again but quieted as the first of the transport vehicles arrived and their passengers emerged. Sarek opened his mouth to speak again; however, he was interrupted.

"Does he have many friends?" Nyota chirped, enlivened by the prospect of Vulcan children, something she still had not seen in her days on the red planet.

"I do not know." Sarek's eyebrows came together very slightly, the clip of his tone the only other expression of his annoyance. "Spock is... solitary." Sarek turned again to Kiano, but another transport vehicle arrived and a large group of Vulcan commuters poured out. Many of the passengers stared openly at Kiano and Nyota, but none said anything to them.

"We're going to see a Vulcan lyre concert tonight." Nyota volunteered, trying to offer some segue between her desire to know more about a Vulcan child and Sarek's original conversation with her father.

"Nyota, honey, here's our transport vehicle. Move closer to the doors and stand to the side so that the people can get out without bumping into you." Kiano watched as the transport vehicle pulled into the station. "Sarek, I'm sure I'll see you again before we leave. I'll be working on these projections this evening." Kiano glanced down at Nyota, who was watching another stream of passengers emerge. "After the concert of course." With that, Kiano and Nyota slipped onto the transport vehicle, leaving Sarek incredibly unsatisfied with the answers that he had received.

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Author's note: Up next-- Nyota sees a Vulcan Lyre performance... I wonder who'll be there? :) Thanks for reading!


	4. Chapter 4

disclaimer: I don't own Star Trek or any of its licensed content.

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T'Kau looked at Spock with her eyes narrowed. Spock could see her in the reflection of the glass that he faced while sitting at his mother's piano. Spock ignored her. He closed his eyes and saw the notes of Chopin's Sonata 3 in B minor skate through his mind. His fingers flew along the keys as he slipped further and further into the music. Spock loved the ancient Terran composers and Chopin was his favorite. Spock did not think that it was a coincidence that written Terran music looked so similar to written Vulcan. Spock found that good music was inherently logical, mathematical and ordered. Eventually, Spock felt a cool hand on his shoulder.

"Spock, that was lovely." Amanda smiled down at her son. "Did you know that T'Kau was here to take you to the concert tonight? She's been standing here for some time."

"I apologize." Spock found that he could not lie, so he avoided it by skirting the question, something he saw his mother do often. "T'Kau, allow me a moment to gather my things and I will be ready."

T'Kau was T'Pring's aunt and Spock's lyre tutor. Spock found that the lyre was an admirable instrument and he found that playing it suited him; however, he did not enjoy T'Kau. He believed that the only reason that T'Kau had been hired by his parents was because of her connection to T'Pring and Spock found that to be an unacceptable basis upon which to choose a tutor. T'Kau was impatient. Spock supposed that there were logical merits to impatience, especially when one was predisposed to efficiency; however, T'Kau was not. T'Kau was not even a very good player. She was mediocre at best and her mediocrity translated into even poorer teaching. Spock had learned little from her in the time that they had spent together. It was one of the reasons that he had begun playing the piano more often. At least with the piano, he did not have to participate in a mutually hostile lesson before getting to actually create music.

With his lyre case in one hand and his bag over his shoulder, Spock told T'Kau that he was ready to go to the concert hall. She looked over at him, her mouth a straight line. Spock ignored her poor mood. T'Kau was not making a good impression for T'Pring's family although, Spock noted inwardly, T'Pring did not either. Spock had been wary of T'Pring when the two children had been presented to each other. He had not met her before but he thought that her disinterest in learning more about him was inappropriate. In the years since they had been bonded Spock realized that his initial impression of T'Pring had been correct. Vulcans were supposed to be interested in almost everything, at least intellectually; however, T'Pring never seemed to find anything beyond herself interesting. She had shown some vague initial interest when she felt Spock's memories flood into her mind, but when she realized that most of Spock's memories included his Human mother, she had insisted that Spock refrain from thinking about Amanda too often. Spock decided at that time that he would simply not require a bond mate when he became an adult.

In reality, Spock could not see a practical reason for him to have to bond. He understood that reproduction occurred in some manner but it did not seem to be a pleasant experience over all and it was certainly not something he was interested in. Spock believed that the universe would be just fine without his genetic material being reproduced. He had decided that it was all completely logical to go through life without a bond mate. Plus, if Spock did not have to attend to children or a bond mate, then he could spend his time more efficiently. Spock's plan was to be the youngest Vulcan to complete the Vulcan Science Academy, to win the Three Dimensional Chess Championships and to join the Vulcan Space Ministry in that order. He would not be able to meet his goals if he had to live with T'Pring. T'Pring did not even play chess.

In fact, in the six years since his bonding with T'Pring, Spock could not discern what she actually _did _do_. _He knew she played the lyre, but beyond that her time was a mystery. She was not an exceptional student, so Spock had concluded that she did not spend her time studying, nor was she graceful, so she did not spend time doing physical activities. On the occasions that he had been privvy to her thoughts in his mind, he could barely discern that she was thinking about anything in particular. In short, Spock found T'Pring to be vacant. Spock suspected that she felt similarly about him, except that she found him overwhelmingly busy and dull. Spock found this to be acceptable since it would allow him to break their bond with more ease. If T'Pring had formed some attachment to Spock it would be more difficult.

T'Kau stopped in the road and snapped at Spock to quicken his pace. Spock's eyebrow shot up. T'Kau told Spock that his leisurely pace might be acceptable on Earth; however, _real _Vulcans did not dally.

"You forget your place T'Kau." Spock said calmly, continuing his stride. "You are a servant of my family until the time that they deem your services are no longer required. Perhaps you would do well to avoid hastening _that _time by remaining unconcerned about my pace." T'Kau's eyes widened at him as he walked past her. Spock made no further attempts to speak with her and he did not slow down when she labored to catch up to him.

***

Nyota was anxious to go. Basim had been playing a game called _kal toh_ and he did not want to be torn away, so Kiano had allowed T'Mana to take Nyota to the concert alone. Kiano did have work to do after all, and _kal toh_ was a nice way to keep the wiggling five year old occupied. No sooner than Kiano had given T'Mana permission to take Nyota on her own had Nyota begun pushing T'Mana out of the door.

Nyota really liked T'Mana. T'Mana said that she had known Nyota since she was a baby, but this was the first time that Nyota could recall meeting her. T'Mana was calm and patient. She never got angry at Nyota for doing things that she liked and T'Mana always explained things in a way that Nyota could understand when Nyota had questions. Nyota knew that T'Mana was important, she could tell by the way that the people on the road looked at her as they walked to the concert venue. Nyota especially liked that T'Mana was important but she had no problems spending time with Nyota and her brother. Kiano loved his children, but Nyota sometimes felt like she was in the way, especially when other adults commented on their presence at meetings. No one, besides Sarek, had ever commented on T'Mana being with Nyota and when she was with T'Mana everyone was nice to her. Nyota did not know if this would only be true on Vulcan, but she thought that everyone would always be nice to T'Mana.

Once they got to the concert, T'Mana was shown to one of the best seats in the venue. Nyota could hardly contain her excitement. She had never seen a Vulcan lyre and now she would get to hear them being played up close. Nyota looked around the hall and saw all sorts of Vulcans and her eyes lit up when she saw children standing in the wings of the stage. Nyota wanted to go talk to them. She looked at them closely. She was pretty sure they were children, but they did not smile. They looked like miniature versions of the adults that were in the audience.

"T'Mana?" Nyota whispered. "Can I go talk to those children? I'll be right back."

"Perhaps after they've performed child. For now sit quietly and allow them to play for you. You will appreciate it more if you are calm." T'Mana smoothed her hand over Nyota's hair, a gesture that she had not done since her youngest daughter was a child more than seven decades ago.

Nyota took a deep breath in order to calm down. She had not realized that this was a recital and that there would be children on stage. Nyota thought that T'Mana was probably right. She would be able to hear better if she did not have a hundred questions for the other children in her head. Plus, Nyota thought, if she was playing in front of so many people, she would like it if the audience members were quiet and respectful. Nyota continued to breath deeply until she had relaxed significantly. She absently rested her hand on T'Mana's arm as the house lights went down and the first group of children marched onto the stage to play.

Nyota thought that the first group of children looked younger than her. Even though their faces were strangely still, they reminded her of Basim. The music they played was fine, but Nyota had not been particularly moved by it. She was not especially moved by the next group of children either, and these children seemed to be about her own age. Nyota wondered what they did that made them never smile. They did not seem unhappy, but Nyota was still jarred by their lack expression. As the third group of students came out, Nyota thought they might be between nine and eleven, Nyota noticed herself becoming more interested in the music than in the expressions of the performers.

T'Mana noticed Nyota's focus sharpen as the more adept students began to take the stage. By the time that the final group of students came out, Nyota was rapt. T'Mana recognized the gangly figure that was Sarek's son and repressed the urge to frown. T'Mana felt sympathy for Spock because he endured much at the hands of those who had small minds and no discipline; T'Mana felt her distaste for the boy's father intensify as she thought of the number of people who spoke ill of Sarek's wife in his presence while Sarek did nothing. The boy was more awkward than many of the adolescents that shared the stage with him. His feet seemed too large for his body and his neck seemed unusually long. He had an unfortunate case of _wadi pi'tak,_ a Vulcan form of acne. Still, when it came time for Spock's solo, both T'Mana and Nyota were transfixed. Spock was not on par with the very best lyre players of the day, but he was by far the best among the group he was playing with. He infused something into the music that the other students did not. If Spock had suddenly stopped playing, T'Mana was sure that a pin could be heard striking the floor.

When Spock was finished playing, Nyota forgot that she had wished to speak to the other children. She was excitedly talking to T'Mana about the performances when she saw Sarek meet Spock. Nyota stopped mid-sentence.

"T'Mana, is that Mr. Sarek's son Spuck?"

"Spock?" T'Mana felt amusement twinge in her chest. "Yes. That is Spock. Did you meet him today?"

_ "_No. I heard Mr. Sarek talking about him to my father." Nyota and T'Mana neared Sarek and Spock. "Mr. Sarek didn't say he'd be playing here tonight. He was very good."

"You're right Nyota. It is very observant of you to notice his ability above the others. It would be appropriate for you to tell him your thoughts on his performance. Would you like for me to introduce you to him?"

Nyota froze. On the one hand, yes, she really wanted to meet some Vulcan children; however, on the other hand, this was a big kid, not the type of child she had envisioned. Big kids, as far as Nyota knew, were universally annoyed by little kids like her. She certainly did not want to make a poor impression on Spock, the first Vulcan young person she would have the opportunity to meet, by annoying him or failing in her Vulcan; at the same time, however, she did not want to pass up such an opportunity. Nyota considered it out loud.

"It probably would be alright since our fathers know each other right?" Nyota said to herself more than to T'Mana. "And if I just tell him I liked how well he played, I probably would not mess that up would I?"

"Your reasoning is sound." T'Mana's lips quirked as she considered Nyota. She was growing increasingly fond of this child, completely independent of Kiano. "Shall we?"

"Ok." Nyota took a deep breath and walked, with her hand on T'Mana's wrist, to speak to Spock and Sarek.


	5. Chapter 5

disclaimer: I am not profiting on this story and I don't own Star Trek or any of its characters/place/content

* * *

Spock saw T'Mana approaching them and stiffened slightly. Spock heard lots of things whispered about T'Mana but he had never actually spoken to her. She was several inches taller than Sarek and somewhat intimidating. Spock recalled Sarek speaking of his time at T'Mana's home the previous day and wondered if T'Mana would be reprimanding him publicly for his impropriety. Sarek seemed to be convinced that T'Mana had a vendetta against him although Spock thought that if T'Mana really wanted something unfortunate to happen to Sarek, it would have already.

As T'Mana approached, Spock's eyes drifted down to her right arm where a child walked, her fingers wrapped around T'Mana's wrist. Spock vaguely recalled his father going on about a child, but surely this could not be the one that he spoke of. The child at T'Mana's wrist was no older than seven, if that. She was all elbows and knees, even under her Vulcan style dress. Spock raised his eyebrow. The girl was staring intently at him and for some reason, it made Spock unusually self-conscious.

"_Greetings Sarek." _T'Mana spoke in Vulcan. "_N'yo'ta is my t'hai'la's daughter. She is k'war'ma'khon to me. She wishes to speak to Vulcans that are closer to her in age. My children are all grown; however, I recalled that you have a child that is still quite young."_

_ "Indeed." _Sarek resisted the urge to ask T'Mana _why _Nyota was k'war'ma'khon, family without blood. Instead he decided to try to redeem himself after his foolish actions of the day before. "_Spock, introduce yourself to this child. Her name is Uhura." _

Spock looked at his father for a moment. Spock did not know any human children. He had spoken to his cousins in Seattle, but when he had gone to visit his grandparents, they were never there. Was there some special protocol in place to speak to Human children? Spock was unsure and rather wished that his mother was there to advise him. Spock looked around for a moment. He had enough problems with people harassing him for having a Human parent and he did not think it would be beneficial to be seen socializing with a Human girl in front of them. Especially one so young. Fortunately for Spock, most of the students that still lingered outside of the concert hall were occupied with other things.

"_I am Spock." _Spock stated flatly.

"_I am Nyota Uhura." _Nyota said, slightly disappointed that Spock did not seem more interested. "_It was my wish to tell you that I enjoyed your performance above all of the others this evening. Your skill at playing the lyre is very high." _Nyota's eyes never left Spock's face. There was something about his face that she could not describe, however, it was different from the faces of all of the other Vulcan children that she had seen on the stage. Nyota decided that she liked it.

_"I am an amateur. My skill level is not high. It is only preferable when compared to those who are less practiced than I am." _Spock gave a standard Vulcan response to a compliment and so did not understand why Nyota's face changed. He knew that the expression was a frown and that it indicated displeasure. He was very familiar with the Human frown; he had a Human mother and Vulcan father after all. Nyota looked up at T'Mana before speaking.

"_I still thought it was good. Thank you for playing for us." _Nyota looked at Spock one last time and then turned her attention to T'Mana. She had hoped that Spock would say something very interesting or would talk about the things he liked to do or what life was like on Vulcan, but he did not. He acted just like all the other Vulcans she had met on this world, except T'Mana, had acted. Still, there was something about Spock that set him apart and Nyota was frustrated that she could not figure out what it was.

_ "_Come Nyota. We may be able to visit the bookseller if we go quickly. We will purchase a book for you on the Vulcan lyre and another on any subject that you wish." T'Mana addressed Spock and Sarek. "Nyota is incredibly curious. She has consumed most of the books in my library. Spock, your performance was well received. I also enjoyed you playing for us." T'Mana looked down at the boy once and turned with Nyota to leave.

Spock walked home with his father. Spock hated being unsure and the experience with T'Mana and Nyota left him somewhat disoriented. T'Mana was not at all what he thought she would be and now that T'Mana had mentioned that Nyota was curious, Spock wanted to know more. He wondered what things she had read at T'Mana's house and if she played chess at all. Sarek had made a point to note that he did not know of Human children that spoke Vulcan. Perhaps Nyota _was_ truly special.

"Father. The Human child was not what I was expecting." Spock said as he and his father walked into their home.

"You see? I told you that she was unusual. Do you think that T'Mana owes something to the child's father?" Sarek launched quickly back into the discussion that was largely ignored by his family the night before.

"I have no interest in the relationship between T'Mana and the child's father. Do you think she likes chess?" Spock queried. It occurred to Spock after T'Mana and Nyota had gone that unlike most Vulcan children, a Human child might not dislike him simply because he had a Human mother. If Nyota was close to T'Mana and she spoke Vulcan Spock deduced that she may not have any prejudices against Vulcans either. She _had_ complimented his performance.

As Spock completed his homework assignments Amanda approached him before going to bed.

"How was your performance Spock?" Amanda sat next to him at his desk.

"By all accounts, it was successful mother. T'Mana and her young friend indicated that I was more adept in my playing than the others. This concurs with my experience. I think that I have excelled to a level where we can consider another teacher. I believe that I have surpassed T'Kau's experience level."

"T'Mana complimented you? Your father did not mention that." Amanda's eyebrows drew together.

"Yes, but only after the girl did. I believe," Spock hesitated at making determinations about Human and Vulcan interactions; however, he knew his mother would not judge him harshly for it. "I believe that T'Mana was saying it to encourage the girl." At this Amanda's eyebrows rose and she looked at her son for some time, a half smile on her face.

"That's a very perceptive observation for you to have made Spock. I think you may be right, but I'm impressed that you were able to come to such a conclusion." Amanda tousled Spock's hair. "Perhaps you're my son after all." Amanda pressed her lips against Spock's forehead and received his standard reaction of discomfort. As Amanda turned to leave Spock to his studies she paused. "Spock, I don't know if it has occurred to you, but if T'Mana's young friend speaks Vulcan, she may enjoy speaking with you. It's probably very lonely for a little Human girl on Vulcan, even if she has someone as prominent as T'Mana to keep her company." Amanda made eye contact with Spock for a while to ensure that he understood her meaning and then she left him alone.

***

Kiano felt that he was nearing a breakthrough on the Vulcan food problem and he worked through the night. He was still awake when Nyota and Basim woke up the next day. T'Mana announced that Kiano would be working from her study today and that they would all be staying together. Both Nyota and Basim cheered, which earned them a look from over the top of Kiano's spectacles.

"What would you both like to do today?" T'Mana asked, enjoying the exuberance of the children. T'Mana was usually more inclined toward the repression of emotion; however, since the death of her bond mate, she had softened. Basim said he wanted to play kal toh more. Nyota, on the other hand, considered the question for a very long time.

"T'Mana, what do Vulcan children do when they're not in school?" Nyota had read all about Vulcan schools in the days that she had been on the planet, but she could not believe that Vulcans spent all of their time studying. Kiano did not really let her watch holos back home, but he kept her in a supply of books and games to entertain her. When he wasn't working, he would even fly kites with them or play catch.

"It is a logical question." T'Mana thought back to her children's childhoods. "My children enjoyed music, reading, kal toh, chess, building molecular models, studying ancient Vulcan poetry" T'Mana paused and looked at Kiano when she said the last. "My youngest daughter is nearly 70 Terran years old, but I do not believe that things have changed so much."

Nyota thought about it for a moment. She knew something about Vulcan poetry already and had seen a reading of a very long poem on her first day with T'Mana. She had both read about and seen Vulcan music being performed. She had to build models when she was at home with her mother; Nyota decided against that. Nyota thought kal toh was fine, but she liked chess better. Uncle Tyvoc played chess with her in one dimension and Nyota thought she was pretty good at it, although she suspected that Tyvoc allowed her to win on occasion. She saw Tyvoc playing chess with her father in three dimensions sometimes though.

"Is there a different type of chess played here on Vulcan?" Nyota rested her chin in her hand while Basim began anew with his kal toh.

"Yes. It is very similar though. Do you know how to play Terran chess?" T'Mana began to reach high on a shelf.

"Yes. I play with Uncle Tyvoc sometimes when my father is visiting him." Nyota had a thought. "I don't know how to play three dimensional chess though. Could you teach me how?"

"Ah, yes." T'Mana's late bond mate had quite enjoyed three dimensional chess and often played it with their children. "Allow me to look. I believe that my grandsons have left several sets behind." As T'Mana peered into a cabinet she spoke to Kiano. "You still see Dr. Tyvoc? I am surprised that, with all that has happened, that you two still make time for each other."

"He enjoys the children." Kiano said abruptly, narrowing his eyes at T'Mana. "I am merely tolerated as their chauffeur."

"You exaggerate." T'Mana's mouth quirked, but avoided a smile. "I know that the bond you share with Tyvoc is unbreakable, although I do admit that you have produced fascinating and engaging children Kiano. They must take after your father."

"Was that a joke?" Kiano grinned at T'Mana from across the room.

"Absolutely not. I was merely making an observation." T'Mana raised an eyebrow at Kiano and something passed between them that Nyota did not understand, but suddenly her father was laughing loudly.

"Ah, Nyota, I have found a three dimensional chess set. Shall we play?" T'Mana sat across from Nyota.

Nyota decided that three dimensional chess was not much different from regular chess, but it required her to think for a much longer amount of time. T'Mana was very patient and helped Nyota think further ahead than she was used to. Simply getting used to the level of play took Nyota all morning and most of the afternoon. T'Mana made lunch for her guests and took Basim upstairs for a nap but then went right back to playing with Nyota. At one point, Kiano took a break from his work and pulled Nyota onto his lap and acted as her chess coach. Nyota thought that it was wonderful. She loved having T'Mana and Kiano's undivided attention. She felt safe and loved. She also felt at home for the first time in a very long time. Nyota was enjoying herself so much that when T'Mana's door chimed, she was decidedly unhappy.

When T'Mana returned from answering the door, Kiano and Nyota saw that Spock was trailing behind her stiffly. He kept his eyes on the floor as he walked but his eyes flickered to Nyota and Kiano sitting before a three dimensional chess set. When T'Mana had taken her seat she looked up at Spock.

"Spock. You indicated that you wished to converse with Nyota. Please, feel free." T'Mana watched as the boy's brow furrowed. Spock stayed silent. Spock had told T'Mana that he wished to learn more of the Human girl in her house and conveyed that his mother had suggested he come. T'Mana decided to help him along. "Nyota, did you know that Spock's mother is Human like you? She was a school teacher on your world." Kiano raised an eyebrow at T'Mana.

"Your father is Sarek?" Kiano asked Spock.

"Yes sir." Spock murmured, unable to understand why he felt so awkward.

Nyota slid off of her father's lap and walked around the table toward Spock. She put her hands on her hips. She was still annoyed at the interruption and she could see no reason for Spock to actually being there. She suspected that he did not know why he was there either. It would be one thing if he had something to say but so far, he was silent. Finally, however, Spock spoke, but it was not to Nyota.

"T'Mana, if you move your rook to G-6 your chances of success in capturing your opponent's alpha queen will increase by 78.328 percent." Spock suddenly looked down again. Unfortunately for Spock, who had no idea what to say to Nyota, it meant that he was looking directly into the frowning face of a seven year old Human girl again.

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Author's note: Thanks for reading! This is the last part of the the first cluster of writing that I did for this story. I'll be working on the next five to six chapters as the week goes on and I'll start publishing the rest of the story later in the week. Thanks for your patience. I hope you enjoy!


	6. Chapter 6

disclaimer: I don't own Star Trek or any of its content.

* * *

T'Mana saw Nyota stomp her way in front of Spock and then looked at Kiano, who was smirking. T'Mana shook her head but Kiano shrugged and laughed. The laugh got Nyota's attention. Kiano regained his composure and thought he'd help Spock out. He looked as though he was thinking of a way to escape.

"Spock?" Kiano called out "Do you mind taking some figures back to your father? I'd like to make sure that my projections are feasible for the current Vulcan economy."

"Yes sir. I am able to carry your data to my father." Spock looked around Nyota at the older man, his skin nearly as dark as his his closely cropped hair. Spock looked relieved. He did not know why, but Nyota was not like the Vulcan girls that he knew. When he was with girls in his class, they never seemed to see him. It was as if he were invisible unless they _had_ to speak to him. Nyota, despite her age and wobbly appearance, seemed to look directly into him. He was not sure that he approved of her scrutiny.

Kiano gave Spock a PADD and gave him detailed information in response to questions that he anticipated from Sarek. Spock easily memorized the information. As Spock turned to leave he began to wonder why he had even come there. He thought that he would need to inform his mother of her inaccurate perceptions regarding Human children on Vulcan. Not only was Nyota not lonely when he had come in, she was obviously annoyed at his intrusion. Spock looked over his shoulder at Nyota as he turned to leave. Spock was somewhat mystified by the situation that he had encountered when he walked in. Part of him, a younger part, would have been quite keen to change places with Nyota. She had been smiling. Spock knew enough about Human females to know that smiling was a sign of contentedness and he could certainly imagine that playing chess with with one's family would be a cause for such a state. Spock had not had such an experience since he was very small. It had been emphasized that his mother's affectionate disposition, no matter how pleasant to experience, was wrong in some manner once he had reached a certain age.

"Ny, why don't you walk Spock out? You can ask him all of the burning questions you've had about what its like to be a child on Vulcan." Kiano offered from the table.

Nyota and Spock both looked at Kiano as though he had suggested that they hijack a space freighter and roam the galaxy for the foreseeable future. Despite her father cleverly undermining her annoyance at Spock's interruption, Nyota did want to learn more about what there was to do on Vulcan. She would only be on-world for another day or two and she may never come back. Nyota also wanted Spock to like her. Despite her gregarious nature and charm, Nyota did not stay in one place often enough to make many real friends. Nyota had tested out of grammar school, which was why she was able to travel with her father to other worlds; however, it left her somewhat lonesome.

Nyota and Spock walked out of Kiano's line of sight, through the vast room that was T'Mana's study and to the entryway. They walked in silence, Spock talking long strides and Nyota stepping quickly to keep up. Neither looked at the other. When they got to T'Mana's front door, Spock looked down awkwardly. He had no idea what to say. Nyota touched the sensor that opened the door and studied Spock's face. When Spock noticed her looking at him, he raised an eyebrow to his hair line. Nyota smiled.

"How do you do that?" Nyota followed Spock just outside the door.

"How do I do what?" Spock responded, dryly.

"That thing with your eyebrow? I can only do it a little." Nyota demonstrated that her eyebrow would only arch a quarter of the height that Spock was able to achieve. Spock was certain that he did not contort his face in such a manner.

"I do not know what you are referring to." Spock paused. "It would be logical for me to return home at this time."

"Where do you live? Is it nearby? My father and I took the transit vehicles yesterday. It took a while." Nyota bit her lip and dragged the toe of her shoe through the red dust that covered T'Mana's porch. She was not sure what she had done, but she was sure Spock did not like her much. She knew she had been unhappy when he came in but now she was trying to be nice and he still seemed aloof.

"The location of my domicile is of no consequence. You would not know the location as you are unfamiliar with this city." Spock would have liked to leave then, but something compelled him to stay. He could not articulate what was keeping him there but it did not seem to matter as far as his inability to move along.

"Oh." Nyota looked down. "I'm sorry I was cranky when you came inside. I was having fun playing with my father and T'Mana. My dad is really good at chess. He plays with my Uncle Tyvoc all the time. T'Mana's really good too. I just learned today." Nyota looked up at Spock. "Do you play chess? T'Mana says lots of Vulcans do."

Spock raised his eyebrow again, eliciting a giggle from Nyota. At the giggle, he cocked his head to one side and considered her. He had never caused such a response in another person before. Even when he heard his mother laugh, he was fairly sure it was not something that he had anything to do with. Spock was curious. He wondered what caused the reaction. He peered down his nose at her which caused both of his eyebrows to slide up his forehead. The girl giggled again. Spock frowned. He did not appreciate not knowing what Nyota found humorous.

"Of course I play chess. I am Vulcan." Spock said as though it explained everything.

"I thought your mom was Human, like me." Nyota asked. She really could not tell from looking at Spock whether he was partially Human or not. He looked like all of the other Vulcans she had met except younger.

"She is, but I am still Vulcan." Spock was feeling somewhat defensive. He had hoped, if nothing else, that a Human girl would not make an issue of his mixed heritage.

"Ok." Nyota shrugged. " Uhm, so what else do you do besides play chess?"

"I prepare for admission into the Vulcan Science Academy." Spock straightened his spine.

"Oh." Nyota pursed her lips. She knew what the Vulcan Science Academy was. Tyvoc had come from there and she heard her mother talking about it sometimes. It sounded like a place that she had no interest in seeing. "Do you do anything for fun?

Spock actually felt insulted. He knew what fun was and it was illogical. Pursuits that did not offer a logical pay off were intrinsically against his nature. Spock found chess to be challenging and understood that it strengthened his mind. He enjoyed certain things; however, he never simply participated in them for the enjoyment alone.

"I am Vulcan. I do not participate in things that are 'fun'" Spock looked down at her again. He wondered what his father found so exceptional about this girl. "Everything that I undertake has a logical purpose." Nyota was frowning again. She did not like this boy. She had tried to be nice and now he was talking down to her like she was a baby. She took a breath and stood up to her full height.

"_You came here did you not? What logical purpose did you have other than to act like a..._meanie." Nyota did not know an equivalent Vulcan word for meanie. She had heard Tyvoc call her father kre'nath before but neither would elaborate on what it really meant. Nyota stuck her chin out and tried, unsuccessfully, to look down on Spock as he looked down on her.

Spock was surprised at Nyota. He knew she spoke Vulcan; however, he had not expected her to _sound_ so Vulcan when she spoke. Spock was also surprised by her question. It was true, there had been no basis for him to come to her house beyond a gentle suggestion by his mother and his own curiosity about whether he would find greater companionship with a Human. He had already experienced the type of companionship that his Vulcan acquaintances provided. Somehow, however, Spock did not wish to admit this to her. He knew it was illogical to hide the truth but he found himself unable to do otherwise. So, instead of answering her question with a lie, he simply turned his back and began walking away.

Spock's walk home did little to ease his mind. Nor did his meditation. He could not wrap his mind around why he had behaved so illogically. He was embarrassed that such a young child had posed a question that he could not answer. Spock stayed up all night and his mother found him in the same place that she had left him the night before.

"Spock?" Amanda peered at her son. "You didn't try to sleep at all last night?" She shook her head.

"Mother. Do not be concerned. I require little sleep." Spock stifled a yawn. "I will function adequately."

"Spock, you're a growing boy. You need rest!" Amanda's hands were on her hips. "I'm an expert in the subject of child development Spock. It would be illogical to disregard my advice."

"Mother?" Spock looked off into the distance. "Have you ever noticed anything unusual about my eyebrow?"

"Unusual? What do you mean?" Amanda looked at her son.

"Nevermind." Spock rested his chin on his hand. "It is not important."

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Author's Note: Kre'nath= Bastard in Vulcan. I realize now that I'm going to have to write a fic where Spock and Nyota meet as adults.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I don't own Star Trek or any of its content.

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T'Mana took Nyota and Basim to a museum the following day. Kiano had a meeting that promised to last up to twelve Standard hours and T'Mana, the mother of more than 17 children, thought it was best not to keep the children locked up with adults for such a long period of time. T'Mana was curious about what had transpired between Nyota and Spock the day before but Nyota had not volunteered the information to anyone. Kiano had opted not to ask about it saying, to himself more than T'Mana, that Nyota would speak on the subject in her own time, if ever. T'Mana had always wondered about Sarek's youngest son however.

T'Mana had known Sarek since he was an infant. Her clan and his had, at one point, been close allies just prior to the revelations of Surak. Most Vulcans embraced the teachings of Surak; however, the applications of his teachings were widely varied and frequently were at odds. T'Mana's clan found it most logical to pursue justice aggressively. For them it meant anticipating corruption and instituting penalties that would prevent victimization of the vulnerable. Kiano had once commented that they were the law and order clan, always with an ear to the ground and a finger on the pulse of Vulcan society. T'Mana did not know if this was a truly apt metaphor; however, it was close enough. Her clan was committed to ensuring that the laws applied equally to the poor, the native, the illogical, the wealthy, the alien and the logical.

T'Mana's clan had frequently come into conflict with others when it insisted that the laws of Vulcan should apply to all of its people equally. Many thought that it was logical that the best and brightest minds of Vulcan be allowed to skirt the laws that they found inconvenient or that laws that guaranteed civil rights should not be applicable to aliens. T'Mana came of age in the middle of the conflicts with Andoria and she watched as her grandmother confronted Vulcan High Command repeatedly to maintain treaties, to treat prisoners equally and not to act out of self interest alone. T'Mana found that these precepts were logical and no one could ever persuade her otherwise.

T'Mana had developed a reputation of an enforcer of some sort. It was deserved. T'Mana's bond mate began his pon farr when the pair was 21 years old; infrequent but not uncommon. Despite her, on Vulcan, early motherhood T'Mana was in the forefront of the dealings with the P'Jem plot. T'Mana had been instrumental in getting the Vulcan High Council to renege its agreements with the corrupt government of Coridan, although it was a difficult fight. T'Mana had taken over the work of her own mother when she died on Coridan during the civil war. T'Mana only had 30 Standard years at the time. T'Mana remained staunchly in favor of fairness as the most genuine display of logic; a stance that many isolationists disagreed with strenuously. They had especially fought against her when she refused to back down from their own crimes and corrupt actions. T'Mana's reputation for investigation and fairness eventually earned her a position as a judicial officer and law maker. T'Mana and her bondmate ultimately found themselves as members of the Vulcan High Command. T'Mana was the youngest female to have ever been invited to join.

Sarek had been born when T'Mana was pregnant with her fifth child, V'Kal. T'Mana had not had many dealings with Sarek's clan directly, however, they had not taken a stance when it came to her belief in the universal rights to live unencumbered by torture. T'Mana thought little of the ambivalence since most Vulcans tended to believe that rights that they favored for themselves did not extend to other peoples. When she began to understand that the clan was somewhat hypocritical in their behavior she began to find further fault with them. They lauded meritocracy; however, they practiced nepotism. No more present was this nepotism than in the treatment of Sarek.

When Sarek had been appointed to be Ambassador to Earth, a more qualified and experienced female had also been considered for the position. She had actually traveled on Andoria and Earth, having lived in both places for a number of years. She was fluent in most of the languages of the Federation planets and she was well versed with the customs of a number of cultures. Sarek had none of this experience; however his family was from the upper echelons of Vulcan society and his grandfather, Solkar, had also been ambassador to Earth. Sarek had been appointed. T'Mana's dislike of him grew from there. She also found Sarek to be somewhat inept when it came to interacting with other cultures, too focused on what the Vulcan High Command wanted versus what the situation actually mandated and generally too timid in representing the Vulcan reality versus the Vulcan projected image.

T'Mana had heard, when she was well past her hundredth birthday, that Sarek had taken a wife. She had no particular interest in it one way or another, after all, Sarek had produced a son without bonding at another time and his family, again, did not find that the requirements for other Vulcans applied to him. When she learned that Sarek's wife was human, her curiosity was piqued. She was disappointed, however, when she heard the number of rumors and innuendos circulating about this human woman that were based upon prejudice alone. Sarek's clan did nothing to stop the disparaging nature of the talk. Sarek did little either. T'Mana did not believe that Humans were well suited for everything that needed doing in the Federation. She would prefer a Vulcan physician to a Human one simply because the probability that she could rely on Vulcan memories; however, she knew that there were Humans that matched the skill, ambition, drive and determination of Vulcans and often surpassed them. T'Mana thought it was a sign of her advanced intelligence that she never made a judgment about a Human, or any other species, without concrete proof of their abilities and flaws. Sarek, despite deeming a Human adequate to bond with, seemed to share these underlying prejudices. T'Mana found that they had no merit. She did not know Amanda Grayson well but she had heard nothing about her that would indicate that she was mentally impaired or inadequate in some fashion yet still the rumors abounded and T'Mana had never heard Sarek confront them.

T'Mana had raised her children and could not imagine allowing any of them to be harassed by the selfish and illogical. Those people who had tried intimately knew the folly of having done such a thing. T'Mana taught her children to stand up for others as well as themselves; however, while they were still young, still forming, still growing, it was her job as a parent to ensure that they did not deal with unnecessary encumbrances upon their minds and energies. Children needed their energy to focus on studying, achieving their peaks and learning to be good citizens. They did not need a constant barrage of idiocy thrown at them without logical basis. T'Mana had heard that Amanda Grayson had been to Spock's school on a number of occasions to protest the treatment of her son. The people who had been speaking about it had not known T'Mana was nearby and they spent a significant amount of time saying insulting things about Sarek and Amanda's relationship, including their preposterous imaginings of the origins of their relationship. T'Mana had, obviously, had no choice but to reprimand the two men; however, it perplexed her as to why Sarek had not been the parent to attempt to assist his son. Obviously, Sarek would have been taken more seriously than a Human female. T'Mana shook her head in displeasure. Sarek was soft and illogical. T'Mana was torn, her views on Sarek were well documented, however, at the same time she felt that his bondmate and son should not have to exist with only him to help them along on Vulcan.

She had been considering an appropriate solution when Kiano and his children had arrived, which sidetracked her. Now, with the unexpected visit from Spock, T'Mana began thinking about the situation again. She certainly had enough clout to intervene on behalf of Spock; however, she could think of no way that it would be seen as appropriate. Spock was, after all, someone else's child and neither T'Mana's intense maternal instincts nor her strength of personality would change that. T'Mana was tempted to ignore the tendency to want to reach out to Spock and his mother as a result of her grief over her bond mate's recent death but she was not sure that could explain it entirely. She had, after all, had empathy for Spock and Amanda from before her bond mate had succumbed.

Nyota asked T'Mana what they would do now that they had left the Vulcan Museum of Ancient Art.

"Is it still your wish to encounter Vulcan children?"T'Mana asked, having a thought. "Or have you had enough after your experience at the concert and with your visitor yesterday?"

"I don't know. I guess I would like to meet some more children." Nyota shrugged. She was angry with herself for letting her temper get away from her for the second time on this planet. Kiano always said that as soon as you let your temper get away, you let yourself get away. Nyota did not like feeling out of control and it was one of the many reasons loved books so much. She could control just how much information she wanted to take at a time. Even though Nyota was disappointed in her behavior she was still angry with Spock. She thought he was dismissive and rude, even for a Vulcan. All Nyota wanted was to be friends despite the long chances due to their age difference.

"Would you find a tour of a Vulcan educational institution suitable? I am certain that there is nothing quite like it on your planet. You may find it of interest." T'Mana had fallen into a habit that she had with her own children with Nyota and Basim. She touched their hands. Nyota and Kiano were both older and more verbal than children that required a telepathic link through their fingers; however, T'Mana found the link to be reassuring, especially with Nyota. She found Nyota to be quite refreshing.

Nyota had nodded her agreement to see a Vulcan school. Nyota really did not have much idea of what school was about. Her parents had alternatively pushed her or encouraged her to surpass the lessons that would normally be afforded to other Terran children of her age group. Nyota's vocabulary was already well past that of an average university student in a number of languages and, although it was never her favorite subject, she had tested at genius levels in mathematics. Most of Nyota's curriculum had been home taught and she lacked much experience in a truly academic environment, even if it was just Grade Two.

T'Mana stood up straight and walked into the school administrator's office, leaving Nyota and Basim outside for a few moments. Nyota looked around. It was nothing like any of the schools she'd seen back on her own planet. Nyota had never been enrolled in a school but she knew what they looked like. This place was the complete opposite of the brightly colored, brightly lit schools that her neighbors went to. This place was dark in the hallways and when she was able to glimpse what was going on behind the closed, windowless doors she could not see children. She only saw an adult milling around what seemed to be an oddly lit floor. Basim and Nyota looked at each other, perplexed.

T'Mana came back out with an older Vulcan man who let his eyes flash irritation from his calm face. Nyota wondered if it was because T'Mana was there or if he didn't want to have to provide a tour of the facility. Whatever he felt below his blank expression, he dutifully showed the trio everything that the school had to offer. Nyota saw that the floor was not actually lit but contained child sized depressions in the floor where a computer constantly quizzed children. Nyota was strangely intrigued. The tour continued from room to room, and as they passed between the rooms, the ages of the children increased. Nyota had smiled at some of the children that were closer to her own age but they had reacted as though she had thrown a punch, their eyes widening involuntarily before they could remember to control their expressions. Basim had asked if he could go into one of the depressions and T'Mana had made it so.

When one of the rooms emptied of its students for required physical activity both Basim and Nyota were able to descend into the floor and test their ability against those of the Vulcan children. T'Mana stood outside the door speaking to the school administrator while the computers shot appropriate questions at the two children, her ear primed to Basim's laughter. Nyota had finished her lesson well before Basim. She had gotten 98% correct and was ready to report this to T'Mana; however, when she emerged she did not see her. Nyota was not sure which door T'Mana might have gone out of so she chose to look for her outside of the closest door she could see, one that led outside.

Nyota touched the sensor and walked through the door. She didn't see T'Mana but she did see someone else that she knew. Spock was surrounded by a group of boys that were about his age but perhaps older. Spock's posture was different from the other boys. His shoulders curled forward slightly and his chest was sunken. The other boys stood straight, their heads held high. Nyota frowned. Spock looked as though he was trying to pass the other boys but they would not let them. Nyota walked closer as Spock again failed to maneuver around the group. Nyota watched as Spock took a very deep breath. Something about his eyes had changed just then. Nyota moved close enough to hear what was being said.

"_What will you do if we do not cease? Demonstrate your inferiority? Again?"_One of the boys said in Vulcan.

"_No. He will simply make a number of tearful Human displays to his mother who will again beg Administrator Riak to stop us. Useless." _Another boy, much larger than Spock said this.

"_Perhaps she will attempt to seduce him into complying with her wishes since she was successful with Ambassador Sarek. Your father is laughable Spock. He cannot even resist a Human. If it was an Orion..." _

_ "Stop it! Five of you bullying one person? For something he has NO control over? Are you too stupid to contemplate that he did not chose his parents?" _Nyota had been unsuccessful in controlling her temper again. She would have to tell her father that she was sorry later. Nyota's face burned when she spoke and she was sure that her Vulcan was not pristine, but she could not stop herself.

The group of boys looked at Nyota's small and knobby figure, a mixture of amusement and annoyance flashing from their eyes. Their faces registered nothing although Nyota had the feeling, again, that they were becoming angry. Spock's face, on the other hand, showed a number of emotions that were all displayed in the artful movement of one eyebrow. He stared hard at Nyota, wondering where she had come from. Nyota felt his hand curl around her arm before it occurred to her to look at him. He did not look happy. Even his eyebrow, which she had found amusing the day before, seemed grouchy. Suddenly Nyota was pleading with Spock with her eyes not to be mad. Unfortunately, she was interrupted by the boy who had spoken first.

_"Who is this Spock?" _The boy investigated Nyota. "_Have you found some Human girl to defend you?"_

"_You never know Talic, she may be more adept at restraining her emotions than Spock is." _The second boy chimed in. Nyota's eyes narrowed. She was about to pull free from Spock and tell those boys something about what Human girls could actually accomplish but they suddenly began looking down. Nyota looked over her shoulder and saw T'Mana, all six feet and four inches of her, standing behind her. T'Mana had a blank face too; however, even the Vulcan boys could tell that she was not happy. Someone was going to be in trouble.

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Author's note: I decided to flesh T'Mana out a little since she seems to be a pretty important to how this story is going to end. Thanks for reading and commenting!


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I don't own Star Trek or any of its associated content.

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For the first time that Spock could remember, the children that had been attempting to elicit an emotional response from him had actually met a consequence that was not favorable. Spock knew little about the Vulcan T'Mana, however, she made very sure that the administrator was aware of their actions and she made it clear that she would be following up on the consequences. Spock knew it was illogical but he had relished the way that the boys' faces had gone pale when T'Mana had appeared. She had said that it was an embarrassment that her Human guest had to observe Vulcans acting so coarsely. Spock wondered how long it would take for his tormentors to become comfortable enough to begin their daily activities again.

When Spock returned home he told his mother about the unusual day that he had, particularly in light of T'Mana's dislike of Sarek. He began thinking about the girl, Nyota. No one had ever stood up for Spock at school before. Of course, it was very infrequent that other students were harassed in the manner that he was. Still, it was a wholly unique experience to him. He was unsure of what to think about it. He asked his mother what her thoughts were on the matter and whether such a trait was common among Human females. Amanda laughed.

"I don't know that it is a common trait among Human females; however, I do think it was admirable that the little girl thought she should step in. Someone needs to stand up to those bullies. Maybe she likes you Spock." Amanda shrugged. "Like I said, it might be lonely for a girl her age on a planet like Vulcan. Maybe she wants to be your friend."

"Friend mother?" Spock knew the term but had not met anyone that he thought the word applied to.

"Yes Spock." Amanda rolled her eyes. "A friend. I can't comment on how common it is for Human females to stand up to bullies, but it is something that _friends_ do for each other. Friendship means that you don't have to face those types of situations alone."

Spock looked at his mother for a very long time. The definitions that he knew of the term friend did not indicate that friends faced hardships together. He thought friendship, as a Human concept, was merely an expression of affection toward another person, perhaps a person that another found to be companionable. Spock knew that the Vulcan definition of friendship was more complex but had not imagined that the two concepts overlapped.

"I do not understand. I was unaware that friendship was a unilateral exercise." Spock leaned back in his chair.

"It isn't Spock. You have to be her friend back, if that's what you want. I'm just telling you that her actions indicate that friendship is her likely goal." Amanda sighed. Sometimes she wondered how she survived in a house full of Vulcan men. "But I could be wrong. She could just be the type of person who doesn't abide others receiving poor treatment. I'll admit that she was very brave for a little girl against those older children."

Spock had much to think about. He noticed that he had more things to consider during meditation time ever since Nyota had come to Vulcan. First, he didn't understand her expressions. Then he did not understand her behavior. She had asked him a question that he had been unable to answer and now she rushed to his aid even though he had not indicated any interest in her doing so. Spock wondered what sort of person did such a thing without any profit or benefit. Spock wondered if this girl was entirely logical. He was not sure but something at the back of his mind caused him to think that she might be.

Kiano was tired when he'd come back from his meeting. The meeting with the Vulcans was more difficult than even he had anticipated. He knew Vulcans could be stubborn, he had lived with one of the most stubborn Vulcans in the universe and was staying at her house presently, but the insistence on rejecting his proposals sight unseen was very draining.

When he walked through T'Mana's door he was surprised that Nyota and Basim were not waiting for him as they usually did. T'Mana was sitting at a desk and stood as he walked in.

"Greetings K'ano." T'Mana spoke as she took Kiano's bags.

"T'Mana." Kiano looked at her and sensed a certain amount of tension. "Where're the kids? Is something wrong?" Kiano's jaw involuntarily tightened.

"The children are well. They are upstairs." T'Mana spoke quietly. "Nyota wishes to apologize to you." T'Mana inclined her head toward the stairs.

Kiano looked up and saw Nyota sitting on the top step, barely visible. Nyota came downstairs and told her father of everything that had happened at the school. She told him about getting angry at Spock the night before and how he had turned to leave without saying goodbye. She explained to her father how it was just unfair for those boys to be mean to him and she couldn't _not_ say something to them. She was sorry about losing her temper, but T'Mana had said that when it came to helping others, losing one's temper could be justified as long as no one got hurt. At that Kiano turned to T'Mana with wide eyes.

"T'Mana said that?" Kiano asked Nyota to make sure he had heard properly.

"Yes sir." Nyota looked down, not sure if she wasn't supposed to share that bit of her day.

"Yes K'ano," T'Mana suddenly spoke up from the adjacent room. "I do not hold Nyota to the standards of Vulcan. She is not a Vulcan and her sense of logic is not impaired by the expression of emotion. She manages both her emotional impulses and her logic quite well together."

"Well." Kiano looked as though he had a shock to his system. "Nyota, I think that you just got the very best compliment that you could have gotten from a Vulcan." Kiano sighed. "Okay. Nyota I understand that you're sorry about losing your temper but you're apologizing to the wrong person love. If you're sorry for being angry with Spock, or even with Sarek from a couple of days ago, you should apologize to them. Not me."

Nyota did not like the idea of that. It was much easier to apologize to her father. He might take away a privilege or get angry but apologizing to Spock? That was a very different proposition indeed. Nyota asked Kiano if she could think about it. She was, after all, not sure she was actually sorry in the case of Spock and Sarek. She had been sad to disappoint her father but she felt that Sarek had deserved her harsh words and so had Spock. Then again, Spock seemed to have a pretty rough life. Maybe Nyota's quick temper simply added to it. It was probably hard to be a young person on Vulcan. Maybe he thought she was making fun of him when she commented about his eyebrows. Nyota sighed. Perhaps it was all a big misunderstanding and Spock really did want to be friends. From what she saw at the school, he did not seem to have many. No one else had come to his side. The next morning Nyota told T'Mana and Kiano that she would like to apologize to Spock, and maybe Sarek, before they left the next day.

Kiano was still trying desperately to find a way to get the various ministers of agriculture to sign off on his plan to secure a food supply until Vulcan was able to make due on its own. He had stayed up all night with T'Mana to see if he could find a way to make the plan more appealing. T'Mana thought that the plan was concise, inexpensive and logical so she had no advice to offer. He only had today and tomorrow to secure their recommendation to the Vulcan High Council. Kiano asked T'Mana to take Nyota to see Spock the next day.

T'Mana, Basim and Nyota traveled first to T'Mana's fourth oldest son, Saakur, who lived in the area near Sarek. Saakur had followed a different path than T'Mana and was a composer. He was naturally talented at it and it seemed to challenge him. T'Mana was content to let him pursue his desires. Saakur had a large studio in which he had a number of musical musical instruments from around the quadrant. Both Nyota and Basim were engrossed as Saakur led them through his workspace, stopping to play each instrument for them. The group ate a midday meal, Saakur telling interesting anecdotes about celebrities that he had met or popular songs that he had composed. Basim wished to learn more about the instruments and how music was composed, so T'Mana left him with Saakur until she and Nyota returned from Sarek's home. Saakur had commented that Basim had the curiosity of a Vulcan.

T'Mana and Nyota climbed the stone steps that led to Sarek's door and were greeted by a servant. The servant, knowing who T'Mana was, invited them inside to wait for Spock to finish meditation. Spock was the only person home at the present time. It was nearing evening. T'Mana knew that Sarek would be in the meeting with Kiano and she was not sure if Amanda would be available. Nyota sat with T'Mana and spoke of things that she liked on her own world and the things that she was looking forward to upon her return. Nyota held T'Mana's hand while they talked, T'Mana enjoying the simple sensations of a child's emotions.

T'Mana was surprised that the first person that had become available was Sarek. She had expected Lady Amanda or perhaps that Spock would emerge from mediation. Sarek said nothing but T'Mana observed his jaw clench when he observed T'Mana patiently sitting in his entryway. Nyota was leaning against T'Mana, dozing. The servant that allowed T'Mana and Nyota in rushed out to explain but Sarek cut her off. A moment later Kiano walked in behind Sarek and smiled down at Nyota's small frame curled against T'Mana.

"Sarek. K'ano." T'Mana nodded at the two men as Nyota sat up.

"Kiano informed me that there was a strong likelihood that you would be here. He would not inform me of why." Sarek crossed his arms over his chest.

"You need not be concerned that I am here for you Sarek." T'Mana fought to keep the disdain from her voice. "The child wishes to make amends for behavior that she regrets." T'Mana placed her hand gently against Nyota's back. Sarek looked down at Nyota.

"I wanted to let you know that I was sorry for interrupting you when you were talking to T'Mana. It was not the best thing I could have done." Nyota looked down at her hands. "I apologize Mr. Sarek."

Sarek looked from T'Mana to Nyota and back again. He was very confused. Sarek was generally confused by Human behavior but he had yet to meet a Human child that apologized for acting like a Human child. Certainly his wife's nieces and nephews seemed to revel in their boisterous, annoying behavior. Sarek had not actually been annoyed by Nyota. He had been far to surprised at her skill in Vulcan. Even if he had not been surprised, he would not have taken offense, she was after all, correcting his mistaken assumption.

"I do not feel that you have a need to apologize. You were correcting a mistaken assumption on my part and it is logical to proffer the correct information when misinformation abounds. It prevents misunderstanding. However, I understand that Humans frequently apologize without need. I accept your apology Nyota Uhura." Sarek took a deep breath and turned toward Kiano. "Is there other business before we finalize your trade arrangements?"

"I'd like to talk to Spock." Nyota blurted out. "If he's available." She looked down and bit her lip. Sarek asked the servant where Spock was. She said that she had believed that he was meditating; however, when she went to look in on him, he was missing. Sarek placed his hands on his hips. Spock had an unusual habit of climbing to the rooftop when he was unable to focus sufficiently for his meditation. Sarek told Nyota that he would bring him down.

"No!" Nyota stopped Sarek. "I can go up there. I mean, if it's alright." Sarek eyed Nyota and then turned to look at Kiano. Kiano raised his palms in a gesture that said he had no objection. Sarek asked the servant to show Nyota the way to the rooftop and Sarek, Kiano and T'Mana adjourned to a room to look over the trade agreements.

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Author's note: One more chapter left! The final chapter is already written however it is unlikely that I'll post it until I finish the first few of chapters to the sequel which is tentatively titled Second Time Around. It is not what you'll be expecting I don't think. Anyway, look for both no later than Monday.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I don't own Star Trek or any of its content.

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T'aal took Nyota out through the back of Sarek's house and pointed the way up what seemed to be an intricate series of stairs that were built into the walls of the house and landings of varying sizes at each floor. T'aal told Nyota to follow the steps until they no longer existed. Nyota began climbing. The Vulcan night was chilly and arid, having lost all of its heat as the planet turned away from its suns. The climb was longer than Nyota had anticipated. She had not seen this much of the house from the road.

When Nyota finally reached the roof she was struggling for breath in the thin atmosphere. She saw Spock sitting on the edge of the building, his feet dangling over the edge. Nyota caught her breath and walked toward him. He did not turn to look at her or move so she sat down next to him. In the darkness Shi'Kahr shone.

"Wow. That's really pretty." Nyota said as she settled in next to Spock.

"It is pleasing to the eye." Spock agreed. "Why are you here?"

"Me? Oh. My father and T'Mana are downstairs with your father. I think they're working." Nyota looked up at Spock's profile. She decided that she definitely liked his eyebrows. And his ears. She though the pointy ears looked cool. "But I came up here to say sorry for not being nicer the other night. I thought that maybe I messed up."

"Messed up?" Spock's eyebrow raised.

"I thought that maybe you thought I was making fun of you when I was talking about your eyebrows. I wasn't. I like them. I think they're neat." Nyota was quiet for several minutes, just the sound of their breathing in the night. "I like your ears too."

"I do not understand why you find my eyebrows amusing." Spock said after another long silence.

"They move." Nyota smiled in the darkness. "I've never seen eyebrows that move as much as yours do. They make your face more interesting than the other Vulcans that I've seen. I wish I could move mine like that. I bet it would be fun." Nyota's legs kicked against the side of the building.

"It was not your intent to point out my flaws then?" Spock finally looked down at Nyota.

"No way!" Nyota grinned. "I wouldn't do that."

"A number of people do that frequently. You witnessed such an occurrence yesterday." Spock paused. "I am unsure what to make of your intervention in the situation."

"Options?" Nyota asked. Spock was confused. "Tyvoc always says that when you are trying to figure out a situation, it is most efficient to determine a discrete number of possibilities that the situation can result in." Nyota shrugged.

"That is an interesting concept." Spock considered for a moment. "The options that are available to me are, in the realm of the positive, that your conduct and the subsequent intervention by T'Mana will allow me to have a relative amount of freedom from such interactions in the future. Perhaps permanently, although that is unlikely. In the realm of the negative, I may be subject to further illogical behavior on the part of others due to their perceptions of you and your relationship to me."

"Why would I make it worse?" Nyota frowned.

"The other students have an unfavorable impression of me because I am partially Human. It would stand to reason that the more perceived connections that I have to other Humans would lead to increased unfavorable opinion."

"That's stupid." Nyota whispered under her breath. "You can't help that you're half Human. That'd be like making fun of them because they're Vulcan. You are what you are."

"I have pointed out the illogical nature of their taunts." Spock did not know what to say next so he was silent. He did think that he enjoyed having someone besides his mother to talk about his situation with. He found that Nyota's perspective that there was nothing wrong with his genetic identity was refreshing. Suddenly a question popped into Spock's head. "Do such things happen to you on your world?"

"No." Nyota looked down. "I don't go to school. Not yet anyway. I don't know enough kids to have them make fun of me. My little brother makes fun of my legs though. He says they look like a daddy long legs with big knobby knees." Nyota drew her legs up to her chest. "That's a type arachnid in the Pholcidae family." Nyota added the last so that Spock would understand. He began nodding at her.

"It is an inapt comparison. I do not think that your legs resemble that type of arachnid, or any for that matter." Spock felt himself relax. "I appreciate that you provided a reference to the family of the arachnid you referred to. Why do you not attend school? My mother indicates that school is mandatory for Terran children."

"I'm too little for the programs that I'm meant to go to. I tested out of most of the required education on Earth. The places where I could go say that I have to wait until I'm at least ten or twelve before I start their programs. It's ok though. I like traveling with my father. Sometimes I stay with his friend Tyvoc."

"You have said that name before. It is a Vulcan name. How is it that your father is acquainted with so many Vulcans?"

"I don't know. He likes Vulcans I guess. My grandfather _really_ liked Vulcans I guess. Uncle Tyvoc told me one time that my grandmother might have been Vulcan if things had been different. I don't really understand what that means though. When I asked my father he said he would tell me when I was older."

"Fascinating." Spock looked out over the city and considered Nyota's statement. To Spock, it was clear that the Vulcan had meant that Nyota's grandfather had been in a relationship not unlike his parent's relationship.

"I did okay at your school yesterday though. I was quizzed by the computer and I got a 98%. I think that the computer misread my answers though because my Vulcan pronunciation was not as good as a native."

"I find that your Vulcan is very close to that of a native speaker. My mother's pronunciation is not even as good as yours and she has been speaking for longer."

Nyota beamed in the night air. Spock could not help but notice that his comment had elicited a favorable response from Nyota. Spock also noticed that he enjoyed the sound of her laughter, which was quite unexpected. Nyota and Spock talked about the differences in life between their two planets. Nyota talked about things that she enjoyed such as reading poetry and learning languages. She said she made learning languages into a game. Spock indicated that he enjoyed puzzles and Terran music; however, he enjoyed chess above all. The two children spoke about interesting things they had seen on the planet and what they hoped to accomplish in the future. Nyota told Spock that her mom said that she had to be a geneticist but that she really wanted to go into space like her grandfather had, but wasn't sure how to do it. Nyota told Spock all of the stories that she had heard about how brave her grandfather was and Spock told her about how his grandfather had translated the teachings of Surak into English.

Eventually Kiano's head became visible near the stairwell.

"Ny? Love, it's time for us to go."

"Oh." Nyota sounded sad. "Baba can't I just have a few more minutes?"

"Nyota it's late." Kiano let out a breath. "How about this? T'Mana and I will go get your brother and come back for you on our way back. No later than that. When we come back you'll be ready to go, understand?"

Nyota nodded. She turned back to Spock and they resumed their conversation. Spock did not want Nyota to leave. He did not know why but he enjoyed talking to her. He felt relaxed around her and he did not worry whether she would suddenly decide that his humanity was off-putting. Spock found that Nyota's intellect, despite her age, was strong and that she understood much of what he referenced. She said things that were amusing or interesting frequently and posed queries that were challenging. Too soon, Spock heard T'aal's footsteps starting up the stairs. He knew that it would be time for Nyota to leave soon.

"When will you be leaving Vulcan?" Spock asked.

"Tomorrow." Nyota frowned. She did not really like Vulcan; however, she felt as though she had made a friend and she was sad at the thought of leaving him so soon.

"I see." Spock looked down at the city. "It is unlikely that I will be able to see you again before you depart."

"Yeah." Nyota sniffled in the brisk night air. "Maybe we'll be back though. Maybe I'll come and stay with T'Mana sometimes."

"Perhaps. If that would happen, I would find it favorable." Spock nodded. "My mother suggested that you intervened on my behalf for one of two reasons." Spock took a breath. "She said that you either wished to be my friend or that you simply did not wish to see my treatment at the hands of the other students. Clarify?"

"Well." Nyota rolled the question over in her head. "Both really. I liked your playing at the concert. You seem to be smart and nicer than a lot of the other Vulcans that I've met here. But I don't think anyone should be bullied. It's not fair. Even if I didn't like you I would have said something." Nyota looked over at Spock and rested her head on her knees. "I want to be your friend and I don't want to see you bullied. Is that okay?"

"I..." It was Spock's turn to ponder a question. Spock thought that Nyota implied that she liked him, something that had never occurred before. Even T'Pring did not favor his presence and he was supposed to be bonded to her. Spock asked himself it it was suitable to be Nyota's friend. "I believe that our friendship would be suitable."

Nyota smiled at Spock. T'aal finished her ascent and informed Nyota that her father was waiting downstairs. Spock thanked T'aal and told her that he would walk Nyota back downstairs. The pair slowly descended in silence. Nyota wanted to say more to Spock but she couldn't think of the right way to say it. She wanted to thank him for finally giving her a chance and for talking to her. She wanted to tell him that she was glad that they had decided to be friends but she thought it might sound strange. Finally, Nyota walked in and saw her family. She stood near Spock and looked at him for a long time. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a woman that she had not seen earlier in the day. She wondered if it was Spock's mother.

"Nyota Uhura, your presence was favorable to me. Perhaps we will meet in the future. We can resume our friendship then." Spock said, conscious of his parents looking on from just beyond the threshold of another room.

"Yes. I hope that your studies go well and that you get to do everything you want to Spock. Your goals are very...logical." Nyota burst into a smile. The two stood looking at each other again. Kiano cleared his throat.

"Well. Nyota Uhura. Live long and prosper." Spock said formally, raising his hand and creating a V with his four fingers. Nyota's smile faltered a little, however, she nodded at him and turned to join her family. Just before she reached them, she ran back toward Spock and embraced him. It was not a long embrace and it was clear that Spock had neither expected it nor knew how to respond. Nyota only reached Spock's chest and she looked up at him, smiled once more and ran to join her family again. Both T'Mana and Kiano exchanged looks and then looked at Spock before silently leaving.

T'Mana accompanied the Uhura family to the transport bay that they came in at. Nyota did not hold back in her affection for T'Mana. She hugged her fiercely. Others looked on, scandalized, but T'Mana simply stroked the child's hair and assured her that they would see each other again soon. Kiano thanked T'Mana for all that she had done for them during the trip. Sarek, when isolated from the other Vulcans, found no fault in Kiano's plan. He actually found it to be more efficient than he could have anticipated. Sarek recommended the plan that morning and the rest of the group grudgingly accepted it. Basim began wiggling again with a Trill flute, a gift from Saakur, at his lips. Nyota took his hand to keep him still as she felt the slightly unsettling sensation of her body being transformed into a matter stream.

***

Nyota returned to Vulcan when she was thirteen years old. She had seen T'Mana a number of times in various places and the two were incredibly close. T'Mana had even adapted her own emotional expression to further the bond between herself and Nyota. T'Mana truly thought of Nyota as her Human daughter and treated her as such. T'Mana met Nyota, nearly seven inches taller than she had been, at the transporter with Dr. Tyvoc and Kiano. Kiano and Tyvoc were attending a conference on Vulcan and Nyota had asked to come along to see T'Mana. T'Mana looked the same, her black hair still shining in the suns of Vulcan. When Nyota went to look for Spock she could not find him. She spoke in Vulcan and learned from the servant, T'aal, that Spock had joined Starfleet Academy. Nyota was puzzled because that was not what Spock had in mind. T'Mana laid a hand on Nyota's back and told her that even Vulcans changed their minds. Nyota thought about it for a moment. Starfleet was an interesting option.

While Spock was at Starfleet Academy he was given a few days of free time on occasion. He wondered about the Terran girl he had met years before. It had been her desire to see space that had prompted his own interest in Starfleet. It occurred to Spock that he could correspond with her; however, he did not think that she would be in one place long enough to receive anything from him. As he grew older, he was somewhat conflicted about desiring a friendship with someone so young. In his mind's eye, Spock still pictured Nyota as the gawky, thin figure that had confronted his bullies in school. Still, on these few days off he investigated the possibility of finding her on Earth. He was unsuccessful. Still, Spock thought to himself, he had left the possibility open. Perhaps they really would meet again and pick up where they left off.

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Author's Note: Ok, I lied. I'm taking a break from the computer for a few days so I'm posting this and the first chapter to the sequel today instead of tomorrow or Monday. Thanks so much for reading and commenting! I hope you liked this shorter story. The next one will be longer.


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